I shared the joy’s and unexpected sorrows of our adventure. Everyone loved to here the stories, even the environmentally tragic ones of plastic pollution everywhere.

And then…………… nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to experience. As I shared the atrocities of plastic in the rivers, streams and oceans, someone shared with me a man made disaster of unimaginable proportion. They said there is a place in the North Pacific called a ” Gyre ” pronounced like Gyroscope. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch the media had claimed it, where plastic pollution gathers and stays for 400 to 800 hundred years, ( a scientific estimate ). As they where describing this place twice the Texas with millions of tons of confetti size piece, I could feel my stomach start to Knot up. The ill feeling that came over me as I realized what we as humans are doing to the oceans and the scale of what we are doing. As my head spun in many directions all at the same time, How could I have of not heard of this before? Who was responsible? who is cleaning it up, Why??

I immediately went to the Internet to search this Gyre thing, a word not previously in my vocabulary. It was true, Plastic Pollution outweighs zooplankton 6 lbs to 1, Capt. Charles Moore’s research, in 2002. Capt. Moore was the only source of information at that time, so I contacted him. I sent an email to Algalita Marine Research Foundation ( AMRF, as it was called back then ) addressed to Capt. Moore. My inquiry was two fold, 1. who was cleaning it up ? and 2. could I do a documentary film on it ?. Capt. Moore answered my email said it’s not possible to cleanup, thanked me for my interest and closed with “have a nice day”. WOW… the oceans are filling with Plastic Pollution, nothing can be done, have a nice day!!!, WHAT !!!

My head was spinning even more, I couldn’t sleep, eat or do much but think about how someone or some government must do something. I had some time on my hands, I’d moved to Maui a few years earlier, had planned well and needed to work only 3 days a week. Earth Day Maui was in just a few weeks, I inquired about booth space, made a Gyre Cleanup banner and got as much info on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch as could and set up shop for the day. Most people were as shocked as I, and most felt overwhelmed at the size of area. However one person asked me, ” What are you doing about it ? “, then said “How about you starting a nonprofit to address the cleanup. By this time I had imagined that there are many ways to do any one thing, ships netting it, vacuums sucking out plastic, maybe even a bacteria that eats it. It is after all a finite amount of space, get started and we will eventually get to the end.

It took only a few days, the stars where lining up, meeting the right people, asking the right questions and Environmental Cleanup Coalition was conceived. It took a world of people to make this mess, it will take a world of people to clean it up, a Coalition, I imagined.

And then the real work started…………………………..

I will end for today with;

Everyone ” Can Do” something about Plastic Pollution. 1. Pick it up when you see it, 2. Refuse single use plastic at every opportunity, 3. Share with others this Noble Cause, 4. Tithe to the ocean organization of your choice, it will make you feel good.

Who said this is OK ? and how did we get from zero to 4 Billion in less than 150 years ?

In 2006 I traveled to Bali, I was mesmerized by the beauty, the countryside, people, tradition and temples. We did go to and thru larger cities, and preferred the smaller towns, the culture felt more intact. Very friendly people, great food amazing lush jungles and of course SCUBA diving and snorkeling adventures. There was a wreck dive, I haven’t had many opportunities and was very excited about the possibility. What fun, exploring and old freighter that is now home to hundreds of species. As we went through the ship following schools of fish, finding an occasional ray or eel we found it hard to leave, but when your low on air, it’s time to go.

On the surface swim back to shore I had a very disturbing event, I watched a fish poop out a piece of plastic. About the size of a postage stamp, blue-ish translucent. I thought, did I really see that ? I didn’t know it was even possible, I really hadn’t ever considered it, until I saw it.

Looking back I can see that there was something happening deep inside of me, an environmental awakening. A shift in my perspective of the world, a larger view of what we humans are doing here.

A week later we decided to venture over to the Island of Lombok and hike the volcano of Rinjani. A spectacular 3 day hike, we hired a guide and porter ( they had equipment ), knew the terrain and had a lot of experience I would recommend it. As we came down into the crater we could see a pristine lake, and little shelters the local fishermen have build, very picturesque. My legs and feet where feeling the 2 days of hiking, it had been a while since I’d done something like this. I was looking forward to soaking my feet in the cool water, as I stepped in, ahhh, yes. As I looked down I saw what looked like a double A battery, I reached in picked it up, then another and another, in five minutes both of my hands where full. I couldn’t believe this, in what looked very pristine place was decaying batteries everywhere. As I tried to explain to the porter and guide how these decomposing batteries where poison, all they kept saying was that they didn’t do it, and that they couldn’t stop others from doing it. Watching the men fish from the lake, watching the stream run from the mountain top through villages to the sea, again I thought is this really happening ?. How can this be ?. Nowhere could we find a safe place to dispose of the batteries, we brought them back to the US, I just couldn’t leave them there.

Over all a spectacular trip, and one that changed my life, in so many ways. I saw other cultures and traditions that are thousands of years old. And environmental degradation that made me swallow hard, and a view of American made products and packaging that have no places to go.

And I will end for today with;

Everyone ” Can Do” something about Plastic Pollution. 1. Pick it up when you see it, 2. Refuse single use plastic at every opportunity, 3. Share with others this Noble Cause, 4. Tithe to the ocean organization of your choice, it will make you feel good.

This philosophy is exactly how I came to start Environmental Cleanup Coalition. I had what I would call a spiritual awakening, ( actually several ), this one in particular I say is an Environmental Awakening. There where many events that lead to this; I became a SCUBA Instructor, moved from Washington State to Maui, Hawaii and fell in love with the Oceans. Warm water, 100′ of visibility and teaming with marine life, lots of sun, soft breeze, it’s paradise. I have always had an affinity for nature, now with this new underwater play ground to explore, she ( the ocean ) had me in Awe. I couldn’t get enough, I went for a swim, snorkel or SCUBA everyday for a few years. The SCUBA community is amazing, sharing information, cool stories, pictures and the best spots to go explore. As a Dive Instructor I very much enjoyed taking new people diving, I get to live and relive that awe of seeing something very cool for the first time.

Every once and a while I saw a turtle with fishing line or plastic attached or caught up in it and always did what I could to help the marine life out of the tangle. Then there were these growths on the Turtles eyes or mouth or fins and as I inquired about this to Marine Scientist’s they said “it was from the pollution run off of pesticides, fertilizers from golf courses, automotive and industrial chemicals making their way to the reef. Heart breaking to see, and it can impair them from eating and or swimming and eventually cost the Turtle it’s life.

And I will end for today with;

Everyone ” Can Do” something about Plastic Pollution. 1. Pick it up when you see it, 2. Refuse single use plastic at every opportunity, 3. Share with others this Noble Cause,

http://inhabitat.com/19-year-old-student-develops-ocean-cleanup-array-that-could-remove-7250000-tons-of-plastic-from-the-worlds-oceans/

Scientists are bizy saying it’s impossible,

And then there are those who just do it !!!

http://www.designformankind.com/2013/01/the-chair-that-might-solve-the-oceans-biggest-pollution-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-120666

In a classic David vs. Goliath battle, a high school environmental club is taking on a national plastic bag manufacturer with its initiative on Tuesday’s ballot to ban disposable plastic grocery bags in Hailey, Idaho.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2011/11/plastic-bag-ban-pushed-by-hailey-idaho-students/1

“When you throw something away, where is away ?” Julia Butterfly

American Manufactures admit to releasing over 4 billion pounds of pollutants into our water, air and land, annually.  Mercury, one of these pollutants, is known to cause damage to the brain, kidney and lungs. Disturbingly, mercury is becoming so prevalent in our oceans and food that the American FDA and  EPA has issued a warning that women of child bearing age should not eat the following fish (http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/product-specificinformation/seafood/foodbornepathogenscontaminants/methylmercury/ucm115662.htm) updated in 2004. Why so along ?. These governing bodies are known for their lax regulatory rules and are some of the weakest regulatory agencies of all developed countries. As levels of toxins rise in our oceans and food, does the acceptable level of exposure rise?  This same paradox applies to many other situations.

2^nd . Means of making an impact is to consider your next purchase. Where was it made? It is best to keep jobs in the USA. Is it a green, Eco-minded company? Do you really need the latest techy gadget or new car? American Car manufacturers minimum MPG standards just went up with a mandate of 35.5 MPG by 2016*.  This is a standard that Europe and many other developed counties adopted many years ago. The Ford Model T got 25 MPG off the assembly line in 1908 **. Who has a vested interest in burning more fuel year after year? Big Oil companies, the same three who are responsible for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, who now have three new oil rigs in the place of one highly defective rig. In response to the New Horizon Oil Spill, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) fined British Petroleum for over 760 safety violations***.  Why does it take the largest environmental disaster in US history**** to uncover such blatant illegality?

3^rd. You are what you eat; is it organic ? Your family deserves to be healthy. The long term effects of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), such as wheat, corn, soybeans, etc. have not been tested. The United States is the only country in the world where GMO foods do not have to be labeled for human consumption. Why? It is a liability to the companies that experiment with our food. Pesticides, Fertilizers, Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals are entering our oceans, rivers and food chains. Many toxins are affecting amphibians, such as frogs. Amphibians are some of the most sensitive organisms and a clear indicator of the future of our species.

4^th. Does your seafood meet the Marine Stewardship Counsel’s (MSC) safe fishing practice standards? Ask at restaurants, meat departments and farmers markets if their products meet these qualifications. The fishing industry as a whole is the most wasteful, throwing back dead 20 to 50% of what they catch, as unintentional by-catch. Most importantly, buy local, because shipping food across the planet is very inefficient and if you buy it, you condone this practice.

5^th. Do you know where your drinking water comes from and what is in it? Water contained in plastic bottles absorbs the properties of the plastic as is sits in the bottle. Sunlight and heat degrade plastic faster, causing more chemical assimilation into the water. Americans purchase 2.5 million water bottles every hour *****.   Buy a reuse-able water bottle for everyone in your family. Buy a water filter for your home, office and business. These items will pay for themselves in less than a year.

6^th. You make the call. Your elected officials want to hear from you. Voice your concerns by calling your congressmen, governor, senators and president.

7^th.  Grow your own (organic of course) edible garden. Even a small window box can provide kale, lettuce, tomato’s, radishes and much more. Eating something you’ve grown yourself feels great; try it!

8^th. Bring no more chemicals into your house or business. Many homes have toxins in the laundry room or under the kitchen or bathroom sinks. Think about where your chemicals are going once they go down the drain. Imagine your sink draining straight into your vegetable garden. What would you put down the drain? If chemicals don’t enter your home, there is no chemical waste to dispose of.

9^th. Invest in alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, renewable, and sustainable systems for your home and business. There are many tax credit programs available for those alternative energies.

10^th. Donate your time to your favorite charity or non profit or pick a new one. Beyond just your money, charities need people power. The suggested minimum tithing of many philosophies is 10% of your income and 2% of your time, these are minimums.
11^th. Be prepared for a natural disaster; world wide they are increasing in frequency and intensity. Family and Individual emergency preparedness are key to survival.

With the empowerment of yourself and others, comes a level of security and a peace of mind. There is much in our world that is dysfunctional, broken or needs to be shifted. Pick one and focus. Educate yourself, educate others and take action.

Be prepared;
http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html
http://72hours.org/build_kit.html
http://www.lifesecure.com/
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11100551


*http://www.begreennow.com/2009/05/minimum-auto-mpg-raised-by-obama-administration/

** http://www.wanttoknow.info/050711carmileageaveragempg

*** http://www.businessinsider.com/bp-has-been-fined-by-osha-760-times-has-an-awful-track-record-for-safety-2010-6

**** http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10194335

*****http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html

When you think about “school grounds,” what type of image first comes to mind?  For many people, school grounds are places covered by paved surfaces and uniform sports fields, adorned with a few nondescript shrubs and trees, and one or two ordinary climbing structures purchased from a catalog. Most school grounds in a given city or region look like all of the others, with very little variation to reflect unique aspects of each school community, the neighborhood’s environmental context, or the teachers’ preferred curricula and teaching methods.  At the same time, children’s domain—the areas they can roam on their own outside of school—have been shrinking over the last few generations, leaving many children with only the schoolyard to explore to discover how the world works.  If what we are providing them is limited and bland, how will they develop their curiosity, their sense of adventure, and a well-rounded world view?

A movement is growing around the world to give our children a richer environment at school—to provide places for teachers to teach their lessons in a hands-on manner outside; places for children to explore a corner of the natural world to see how it functions; and places to run, hop, skip, jump, twirl and play in active, challenging, and creative ways.

Sharon Danks, author of Asphalt to Ecosystems was recently interviewed about green schoolyards by Juliet Robertson for her blog, “I’m a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here!”

http://www.greenschoolyards.org/blog/entry/1770951/why-green-school-grounds

http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater

Hurricane Irene has given us all a new perspective on emergency preparedness. Over 100,000 homes on the east coast have been impacted by a loss of electricity as well as countless others on boil water notices due to flooding. In an emergency, once you lose power, water is likely to be the next to go loss due to the lack of power to pump water into the municipal lines. Since a majority of us have never suffered a long time loss of electricity and water, we wait until the last moment to prepare. We foolishly rely on the never ending access to electric power. There are 3 basic steps: get a kit, make a plan, be informed. The list of preparation includes water, easily stored food, battery or crank operated radio, first aid kit, whistle to signal help, can opener, local maps and even a dust mask etc. It is also important to consider prescription medications, cash, pet food, sanitation supplies, chlorine bleach to sanitize water, waterproof matches, fire extinguisher, etc. Preparation is often your lifeline to stay safe and manage through an emergency situation. We are notified ahead of time when a hurricane is expected to impact our area. However, we are not always afforded the luxury of notification before a disaster or crisis. In this case, we should stay prepared instead of waiting until the last moment when we are notified that a natural disaster is headed our way.